Share

Obituary

Print

Marjorie "Betty" Hartmann age 89 passed away Tuesday morning , February 27 2018 in Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo. Betty was born in East Orange, NJ on May 26, 1928, the daughter of Christian and Daisy May (Frazier) Hansen. Betty is survived by Edward J. Hartmann D.D.S. her husband of 67 years. As a child Betty had a fascination with airplanes and aviation. which resulted in her learning to fly before she was old enough to drive a car legally in NJ. After working in a munitions factory one summer and saving her money she talked her father into letting her take flying lessons and soloed in an open cockpit, fabric covered biplane in 1944 at the age of 16. She entered Western Michigan College in 1944 at the age of 16. She entered Western Michigan College in 1946, graduating in 1950 with a BS in Home Economics and a minor in Children's Literature. It was in her Freshman year that standing in line at the Walwood East Campus cafeteria she met her future husband of 67 years, Edward J. Hartmann D.D.S. They married four years later when he was finishing his Senior year in dental school in Ann Arbor. They began a family of six children and moved to Kalamazoo after a brief time in the Detroit area. Shortly after the birth of their third child they moved to San Francisco for a two year period courtesy of the U.S. Army. Betty loved their time living in the Presidio overlooking the entrance to San Francisco Bay. She had a well used pair of binoculars to monitor the ship traffic and activities in and out of the bay. She also enjoyed the many trips camping from Vancouver BC Canada to Tijuana, Mexico. The family returned to Kalamzoo where three more children were born and all six raised. While raising her children she spent many hours volunteering at St. Augustine's in the lunchroom, playground and as a teachers aid. She also began many years as a "hockey mom" shuttling four boys to hockey beginning with the first year of the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association at the Lake Street ice rink. She was a wonderful cook, able to prepare meals for 2 or 200 in what seemed effortless manner. She had an amazing talent for sewing, knitting and needlework of all types creating masterpieces that family members still have and enjoy. She was active in Girl Scouts as a young girl and with her own two girls in Girls Scouts for 15 years, serving as a troop leader, area exposition organizer, cookie chairperson. She also spent many years being responsible in alternating months organizing and preparing lunches following funeral services at St. Augustine Church. She was active in the Kalamazoo Valley Dental Auxilliary for many years and served one term as president. Her decades of involvement in Dyslexia education were founded in her own experience and those of two of her children. She was a member of the International Dyslexia Association, serving two years as president of the Michigan Branch. She devoted 25 years tutoring math and helping shape the lives of hundreds of children with learning differences through the Specific Language Disability Learning Center in the Kalamazoo area. She was instrumental in in creating a special educational program for dyslexic students at Hackett High School and helping to establish and fund the Barbara Cooley Fund there. After "retiring" she continued a lifetime of volunteer work driving for the Shepherd Center in Kalamazoo. A truly remarkable daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. For all the clothes made, lunches packed, miles driven and hours spent with hockey, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, school, the lake, the farm and oh yeah, the cheesecakes..thanks mom. Her husband, Edward, sister Virginia R (Gerald) Rau, Pennington, NJ. She is preceeded in death by her sister Dorothy (Rau) and Wally Carlson and grandson Michael K. Zemlick. She is survived by her 6 children Barbara (Hartmann) and Alain Huet de Guerville. Mary (Hartmann) Zemlick, Steve Hartmann, Don Hartmann, Paul Hartmann, Mark and Sandy Hartmann. Grand chhildren Diana Huet de Guerville, Brice D. Huet de Guerville, Catherine M. Zemlick, Lauren E (Zemllick) and Barney Rumpke, Jeanne L (Zemlick) and Kevin Foley, Christoper K. Zemlick , 4 nieces Pat (Rau) and Ken Beckman NJ, Deb (Rau) and Greg Masey, Judy (Rau) and Jim Fischer, Audrey (Rau) and Spencer Brockman Denby (Olson) and Ian Adamson. And grand children Diana Huet de Guerville, Brice D. Huet de Guerville, Catherine M. Zemlick, Lauren E (Zemlick) and Barney Rumpke, Jeanne L (Zemlick) and Kevin Foley, Christopher K. Zemlick, Margaret M. Hartmann, Edward J. Hartmann III, Graham C. Hartmann, Eric E. Hartmann, Samantha J. Hartmann, Mark Andrew Hartmann II, Dylan Hartmann, and 9 great-grand children. A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 2, 2018 at Redmond Funeral Home from 4:00-6:00 PM. A mass of christian burial will be held Saturday, March 3, 2018 at St. Monica Catholic Church at 11:00 AM. Betty's cremains will be interred at Fort Custer National Cemetery at a future date.